LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 16, 19 January 1921, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Attention was drawn in a-letter from ■Mr. F. X, Hunt, S.M., read at yesterday's meeting of the Hutt County Council to a dangerous pool in the Hutt River at Maori Park, where a drowning fatality recently occurred. Councillor Whiteman said it • was impossible to spend money on boats and other appliances, as they were invariably damaged. The council decided not to take any action in the matter.

It is many years since toll-gates existed in the Wellington Province, though they have lately been revived with success in Taranaki. The cost of the upkeep of roa-ds is a very serious item in tfye finance of local bodies, and at its monthly meeting yesterday the Butt County Council, considering the cost of maintenance of the Day's Bay-road, decided to take the necessary steps to obtain authority to erect, a toll-gate on that highway. ; '

The Fire Brigade was . called to a seven-roomed dwelling ill Frederickstreet yesterday afternoon, and dealt, with the outbreak of fire before any material damage was done. /'Some old clothes were burnt, and the interior of the room was slightly affected, but otherwise little harm was done.

A ship's fireman, John Clancy, a member of the crew of the Port Nicholson, admitted when he was taken before Mr. W. G. Biddell, S.Mi, at 1 the Magistrate's Court to-day that he had consistently refused to obey commands issued by his officers while,the vessel was on the high seas between Auckland and Napier. Mr. G. G. Watson, who appeared for the shipping company/,'said that the man's action was not to be lightly viewed. Clancy had signed on the ship's articles at London for the round trip, but apparently he wished to be put ashore, and therefore refused to turn to at all. He was not wanted back on board. If counsel's assumption was correct, Clancy must been considerably disappointed, for the Magistrate imposed a sentence of fourteen days' imprisonment and ordered that he should be placed on the ship prior to its departure'from the Dominion.

A claim made by Harry Kahn (Mr. W. J. M'Eldowney) at the Magistrate's Court to-day against Herbert Stuart Cook (Mr. C. A. L. Treadwell) for the refund of a deposit of £50 on plaintiff's purchase of a house in Konini-road, Hataitai, from the defendant was based chiefly on an allegation that the defendant or his agent had misrepresented that the house was sound and in good order, whereas that was not so. Plaintiff alleged that come of the outeide boarding was unsound, and that as a result of the subsidence of a part of the ground certain portions of the house had been weakened. An agreement had 'been made,, plaintiff held, that the matter would be adjusted if the place were resold, and the defendant placed in as good'a position as he had previously occupied. The arrangement was carried out, but the refund was still refused. Plaintiff claimed the refund of the deposit, together, withf SIX) 10s legal expenses, 12s interest, and £25 general damages. For the defence, it was held that there had been no misrepresentation, but, on the contrary, the defects were made known. The Magistrals reserved his decision, and stated that he would visit the premises.

With a view to finding a solution of the trouble caused by irregular mail services, the Central Chamber of Commerce approached the First Assistant Secretary to the General Post Office (Mr. MacNainara) yesterday morning. Reporting to the meeting of the Chamber yesterday afternopn, the secretary' stated that Mr. MacNamara gave his assurance that the Postal authorities, both here and in the Old Country, were doing their best in the matter. The uncertainty of steamers' sailing times and consequent missing of connections seemed to be the .main cause of delays. The various shipping companies all were endeavouring to keep faith, but were hampered by trouble with the crews of their vessels. In connection with thoarrival of goods before their respective papers and bills-of-lading, the only possible remedy that conld be suggested by tho Department was that in .future the shippers should arrange that all papers leave by the same vessels as the consignments to which they relate. This can be accomplished by addressing mail matter por the same vessel as the goods. The Postal authorities are of the opinion that matters will right themselves in time, but it may be a long process. Incidentally, Mr. MRcNamara mentioned that the first mail to run to schedule from New Zealand since the war arrived in London on the Bth of this month; and also oirthe expiry, of the present San Francisco mail contract the Department, is going to arrango for the despatch of mails via Panama. '